Six Things You Should Know About Chief Pharmacy Officer Karen McConnell

In February, Michigan Medicine and the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy announced that Karen McConnell, PharmD, MBA, would become the next Chief Pharmacy Officer (CPO). Dr. McConnell brings more than two decades of clinical pharmacy and pharmacy leadership experience to her role.

As CPO, Dr. McConnell’s role is expansive and fun. Her vantage point ranges from the 50,000-foot view – setting strategic priorities for the pharmacy department; making sure the pharmacy department is sound from a business perspective; overseeing the many pharmacy teams who serve the hospital system’s retail and specialty pharmacies, inpatient pharmacies, clinical pharmacy services and infusion and home infusion services, and the system pharmacy team – to the individual patient level, ensuring they are receive the best possible care.

As U-M welcomes Dr. McConnell to her new role, we wanted the College community to get to know her a little bit more. 

Where is Dr. McConnell joining us from?

Dr. McConnell joins the University of Michigan and Michigan Medicine from CommonSpirit Health, a health system headquartered in Chicago, with 142 hospitals in 24 states. Dr. McConnell served as their Chief Pharmacy Officer while living in Colorado. Prior to CommonSpirit Health, she worked in numerous clinical pharmacy and leadership roles. 

Why did she choose pharmacy?

A daughter of a Missouri farmer, Dr. McConnell knew from a young age that she had to study hard to afford college. She did some research, spoke to her high school biology teacher and settled on a career in pharmacy. 

Throughout her schooling at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and residencies at Cox Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente Colorado, she found her love for direct patient care and decided to pursue clinical pharmacy. She transitioned to pharmacy leadership 10 years ago.

Has Dr. McConnell performed any research?

Yes, she has! Throughout her career, Dr. McConnell’s research evaluated ambulatory pharmacy services and health outcomes in cardiovascular care and strategies for continuing professional development for pharmacy students. Most recently, Dr. McConnell’s research focused on formulary decisions and how they impact drug costs. 

How does Dr. McConnell’s role help propel the College of Pharmacy forward?

Serving as the CPO and having a shared appointment between the College and Michigan Medicine allows her to ensure the strategic goals of the hospital system align closely with the goals of the College, to make sure they are working together to best educate future pharmacy leaders. 

Dr. McConnell understands the opportunity for Pharmacy students to learn from some of the world’s brightest pharmacy leaders at Michigan Medicine. Both unique and special, she hopes to use her position to help students learn the tangible and soft skills both in and outside of the classroom – while also encouraging them to take a seat at the proverbial table. 

Why did she choose the University of Michigan?

When asked this question, Dr. McConnell stated that she was honored to be recruited by the University of Michigan due to its great reputation. 

She says that from her first interview, it felt like home and she loved the friendly and committed community at Michigan Medicine and the College. 

What’s her advice for potential and current pharmacy students? 

Explore your pharmacy options, and know that the pharmacy profession allows you to do so many different things. Whether you want to go into retail, industry, policy or consulting, clinical, or inpatient (just to name a few) you can find your home in pharmacy. Utilize the resources of Michigan Medicine and the College to find your path.